Four and a half

Dear Owen,

Today you are four and a half years old!

I can't believe in 6 short months you will be five years old and starting kindergarten.  I find myself having to think harder and harder about what you were like as an itty bitty baby.  Thank goodness I took about 4,000 pictures to help me remember :)

 Owen, here is what you are up to at four and a half:

- You weigh 38 lbs. and wear size 4T clothes.
-  You started wearing glasses at 22 months old.  We were told that since you started so young, your eyes could improve to where you wouldn't need them anymore.  Well, that day came this past week when you went for your eye exam and we found out you no longer need glasses!!  Yippee!!!  I have to admit, I sort of miss you wearing them... when I look at you, I feel like something is missing.  You go back again in two months to make sure your eyes have not regressed at all.  We're crossing our fingers!
- You are a picky eater.  Your favorite foods and snacks are yogert, applesauce, apples, bananas, fruitsnacks, pancakes, popscicles, pork, noodles, and chicken. 
-  You love going to daycare to play with your friends.
-  Many many months ago, you read your first book, "I Went Walking".  We were so proud of you, even though you weren't actually reading the words.  You were just looking at the pictures and had the sing-songy rhyme memorized.  Still, it was a big step towards actually reading.

Well, a few weeks ago daddy was cleaning out a closet at his school and came across an old Reading Mastery book.  He taught RM when he was a special education many years ago.  I have never taught it and to be honest, I don't quite get it and it seems a bit boring.

But, you LOVE it and daddy  is so good about doing a lesson with you almost every night.  He even got a copy of the kindergarten sight word list and made flash cards for you.

 

After just a few weeks of Reading Mastery, you are decoding!  I was blown away when I went into your room and watched daddy doing a lesson with you.  Lately, when we pass signs, or you see a word, I hear you saying the sounds of the letters and blending them together to try to figure out the word. 

I am telling you this because when you get older and you wonder who taught you how to read...it was your daddy.  You're very lucky to have such a wonderful dad :)

-  You LOVE playing soccer.

-  You also like super heros and GI Joes.
-  You love to watch Scooby Doo and crack up laughing almost the entire time.  I love to hear you laugh so hard!
-  You will nap once or twice a week, but that's about it.  When you don't nap, you go to bed around 7:30pm and wake up around 6:30ish.
-  You are such a good big brother.  You are always trying to help Adam and figure out what he wants when he's fussy.

-  You still suck your thumb and love your blue blankie.
-  Our favorite thing about you is your kind heart.  You have always been so caring towards others and we hope that quality never leaves.

We love you oodles and oodles!
Mommy